Love Like Ours
by SilverLunarStar
Summary: Maths professor John Smith is a believer of true love and believes he has found it in a mysterious blonde woman dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. The problem? He has slowly been falling for business major student Rose Tyler, whom he happened upon accidentally one day. After getting past their own fears , they find joy in one another. Tribulations soon follow. Will love be enough?
1. Lighting the Spark

**Love Like Ours**

_By: SilverLunarStar_

_**Chapter One: Lighting the Spark**_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** _I hold no claims over _Doctor Who_. I simply like to play with its characters. ^_^_

**Note:** _This fic is going to be dedicated to quite a few people. Number one and one being Bear (aintfraidanoghost/onabearskinrug) and Vannadear for their birthdays are coming up! And also Callistawolf for giving me the prompt: "A geek is in search of the mysterious girl that kissed him on Halloween, but his only clues are her blonde hair... and her pink Converse shoes." What was only meant to be a one-shot blew up in my face and became...whatever this is._

_I will be updating once a week on Thursdays except for Thanksgiving weekend. This is my first go at a fic like this (College AU). Hope you all enjoy! A thousand thanks to Fogsblue for her quick and amazing beta-work. This is also for you, love!_

* * *

Professor Doctor John Smith dismissed his last class of the day and, for the first time since the semester started, had no stragglers what-so-ever. He wondered, how did he get himself into these situations? Sighing, he collected the paper, pencils, and various geometric rules that were scattered on the desk into his bag, actually remembering to pack up his dry-erase markers as well. Exiting the campus of the University of London on foot, he looked around, hoping to catch sight of a certain blonde. He stayed there until he finally realised how utterly ridiculous he must look to passers-by. Chiding himself for even thinking about her in that way, he continued on to where a cluttered flat awaited him.

Closing the door of said flat fifteen minutes later, he pressed his rather large forehead against it. He really needed to stop thinking about _her_ like that. Shoving his bag underneath his desk, the only place an area was clear of bits and bobs save for a wooden frame containing a picture he held dear. John pressed fingers to his lips, then to the picture in greeting, and then headed to the ensuite. Peering into the mirror with tired, green eyes, he narrowed onto his prominent chin where a few whiskers were growing. There might as well have been an army of facial hair with the way he took them down with the efficiency of a general.

Turning his head this way and that, furrowing his brow and bringing his practically-non-existent eyebrows together, he smiled, nodding in satisfaction before stepping into the shower. He went for the cold knob first and yelped when he was immediately sprayed with frigid water, cursing at having left the showerhead's knob turned on earlier today. He adjusted the temperature and let the droplets wash off his day's worries. It seemed to work…

Right up until he arrived where he was supposed to be meeting his friends. Here, his nerves got the better of him. The place was absolutely crowded. John fidgeted uncomfortably as he said a quick hello to one of his students. He wandered around for a while, trying to find the best spot to hide- 'Scout,' he rectified in his mind, for his friends. From the corner of his eyes, he caught someone wearing a red hood with a bit of blonde hair peeking out, but when he turned around fully to take a look, the person was gone.

He frowned before brushing it off, continuing to look for his two very meddlesome mates. He gave up after about half an hour as he waved at Lisa Faes, the fifth student of his he'd run into. It's not like he _stood out_ or anything. He was closer in age to most of his students than any of the other professors here. Even some of his students were older than him! Maybe that's why he felt out of sorts. He was sure that, had he been around Professor Gregory Pace's age, he would have simply scoffed and glared at everyone who dared look his way. Chuckling to himself, he leaned against a wall in a somewhat abandoned corner with a drink in hand.

He was currently in the middle of a regular ol' college party multiplied by ten. Today was Halloween. From his morning class until now, most of his younger students had been celebrating all-out. While most had been able to control themselves and adhere to the university's rules about not wearing costumes to class, plenty of them had not, while others still celebrated in one way or another - either by wearing graphic tees honouring this festive holiday, covering themselves in makeup (which wasn't allowed either), and/or wearing other ornate accessories. Thankfully, there had been no alarming events and now that most classes were over the campus cops were being more lenient in allowing the students to roam about as they pleased. There was more security than most nights which made the university relatively safe and most students preferred to enjoy the night here. John was certain that the other campus houses were just as full as this one.

It was just past ten in the evening now and most people looked like they were just getting started. He frowned as he saw one of his younger students being harassed by an fourth year (though he could swear Mark Lyte had been here for much longer) and was just about to intervene when he saw Rita Jenkins rightfully slap him before marching away. He couldn't help the proud smile that spread across his face even though, as an employee of the school, he shouldn't condone such acts of violence, no matter how well-deserved.

Besides being a professor, John felt rather out of place because he'd never actually attended a college party before now. He had entered college at the tender age of fifteen and had breezed through like the genius he was. He'd achieved a doctorate at twenty-two and had immediately been offered several jobs throughout London. Schools, museums, research facilities, libraries - everyone wanted a piece of John. In the end, he'd decided to stay at his alma mater as his favourite maths professor had retired the year he'd graduated and had recommended John for the position. Besides being familiar with the location, curriculum, and atmosphere, his friends had also begun to attend.

Amelia Pond and Rory Williams had been his best friends since grade school. John had always been awkward as a child and had never had many friends. When he'd gone to live with his grandfather in the quaint town of Leadworth following his parents' deaths, he'd ended up having to attend the small school there that hosted all years. He ended up being picked on quite frequently for his intelligence. Some people didn't like to be upstaged and John did so with ease whether he meant to or not. He spent all his time with his nose in one book or another, books that were often slammed shut on his face.

It wasn't until redheaded Amelia Pond, who had come to live in the small town with her aunt just a few short months after him, had come to his defence that he was left alone. She had arrived with a tall, gangly boy their age named Rory Williams who had apparently also stood up for her just the day before and had a black eye to prove it.

Soon, the three were inseparable and everyone at school knew it. He'd connected with Amelia, Amy as she later preferred to be called, more because of their shared orphanage, but also found brotherhood in Rory when their female comrade would turn her temper to either one of them. A few years later, just before he found out he'd be receiving a full-ride to the gifted program at the University of London, he started to realise there was something… special going on between his friends. Before this, however, his grandfather, William Smith, had been afraid that John would never get through school for all the mischief he and his mates caused (usually defending others from the school bullies). Mostly, however, he knew the elderly man was proud and amused by their pranks against the notorious harriers.

Visiting home during the holidays two years later, Rory (shyly, but happy) and Amy (boldly and joyfully) had announced they were dating. John had been elated by the news, smug to know he was right, and had admitted to having his own special someone. The redhead had jumped on his case, demanding to know everything about his girlfriend and why he hadn't told them sooner.

Looking at his friends dancing together now, he couldn't help but smile. Rory wore a realistic-looking set of armour that, at the same time, looked very light, a no-doubt plastic sword sheathed in its holder, and a red cape, completing the look with authentic sandals of the era of the Roman centurions. Definitely Amy's doing, who wore a Roman goddess gown to compliment him. Fortuna? No, most likely Venus, knowing Amy. Some people found it startling that the pair was still together after all this time. Those two were quite different: Amy was more fierce and loud while Rory was calmer and subtle; yet he had never seen two people more suited for one another. The image framed in his flat of a middle-aged couple smiling at each other and holding hands flashed through his mind, along with a dull ache in his heart.

"You're not meant to look sad on Halloween, you know." A rough, feminine voice startled him out of his thoughts. He could hardly hear her over the music and wasn't paying attention quite yet.

"Unless you're haunted by your past." Green eyes clouded in sorrow, thinking about what else today represented.

She shook her head. "Our past is always with us. The next few days aren't meant to be a time to mourn, but to celebrate life." She extended her hand.

He looked from the offered hand, finally taking in a masked face and wisps of blonde hair peeking out of her red hood. He'd seen her earlier, he was sure. He continued to stare at the unique outfit of Little Red Riding Hood. The hooded cape looked like it was made of a thick, sturdy fabric, a grey skirt ending at a modest length (surprising, considering most females here were probably wearing the skimpiest outfits they found), and a simple white blouse with a black corset adorned her well. A shiny red mask covered most of her features, but he was sure there was an enticing face to be found underneath. He pretended to not understand what she was asking, waiting for her to move along and leave him alone, sure that she could attract someone a lot more… attractive than himself. Plus, he wasn't really looking for anything or anyone here. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Instead of leaving, she tilted her head and considered. "What, you don't dance?"

Surprising himself, he blushed and was thankful that the room was dark enough to hide the redness of his cheeks. His sudden self-consciousness made him play with the cuffs of his own outfit, a simple Victorian suit of deep purple Amy had assured him made him look 'debonair'. "Not… well," he admitted, now fiddling with the buttons of his waistcoat.

"The world doesn't end because John Smith dances." She smiled teasingly, the tip of her tongue darting out of her mouth until it was quickly pulled back in.

Before he could think about why the action seemed so familiar or how she knew his name (_oh_, if this was one of his students asking him because of some type of bet, he'd fail those involved, teaching ethics be damned), she took his hand in hers and led him to the dance floor. He stood still when she took his other palm in hers as well.

"You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them," she said kindly, encouraging him.

At first, all John could manage was shuffling his feet, which suddenly seemed enormous. He was afraid of making a fool of himself in front of her even though something told him she wouldn't mind. He didn't know what it was, but he felt completely at ease with her. The storm that had begun to brew cleared away as the world around them disappeared. He squeezed her smooth left hand in his right before letting it go, only to bring his arm around her to pull her closer, hand resting on her hip. He inhaled the sweet scent that escaped from underneath the hood of her costume as she rested her head against his shoulder. His grip around her tightened. Even as the music became face-paced once again, they continued to sway gently to their own beat.

Several times, he was tempted to strike up a conversation with her, but either the loud noise around them or his own cowardice, his heart beating like a loud drum, intervened each time. She hadn't sounded familiar, but… He was amazed at how easily he lost himself in this girl. John shook his head mentally, feeling her soft curves pressing against him. No, not a girl, she was definitely a woman. A woman who knew what she wanted. She rose and he gasped as soft lips met his slightly chapped ones, lighting a spark inside him. Before he could respond in kind, however, she stepped back, mouth parted in shock, as if she could not believe what she had done. Even in the dim lighting, he could tell her eyes were wide behind the red mask though he could not quite tell their colour.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" She cut herself off, pursing her lips and turning, pushing through the cluster of bodies, running away.

He could only gape, his body frozen in shock. The only thing he could seem to focus on was her footwear. 'Pink converse with a Little Red costume is such an odd combination.'

"John, John, what happened? Who was that?"

Hearing Amy's voice beside him and feeling a hand on his shoulder, he finally snapped out of his reverie. He looked behind him to see Rory looking at him with the same concern that his girlfriend was voicing.

"I-I don't know." He was completely baffled. He hadn't come here for a good time, but somehow he had been enjoying himself with the blonde Red Riding Hood though all they did was dance and speak very little. Was she really even blonde? What if it was just a wig? He completely zoned out his friends' worries as these thoughts and more raced through his mind.

Amy, of course, didn't take kindly to this and went off ranting at him. "Such a space case, I swear. How did you survive all these years without us? We bring you out to enjoy yourself and…"

Rory was now trying to calm her down, but to no avail.

Finally John had had enough. "I'm leaving." He made his way through the crowd and mentally scolded himself for not following the blonde Red sooner. When he was finally out, the cool October air refreshed him and his determination for answers grew. A fire had begun inside of him and he would not rest until he found the one who would burn along with him.


	2. Caught Up

**Love Like Ours**

_By: SilverLunarStar_

_**Chapter Two: Caught Up**_

* * *

"Where were you last night?" Rory dropped his bag and two large books onto the table before seating himself across from her.

Rose Tyler rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her grumpy friend. "Well, good morning to you too." She ducked under the table for a second before coming back up with a thermos in each hand.

Rory eagerly took the darker thermos and happily drank the saving grace that presented itself in the form of coffee. "Sorry, it was a long night…" He glanced at her. "…which you would have known if you had actually made an appearance."

She shrugged. "I have a test today, stayed in studying."

"Why did I have to go, then?" he whinged a little before drinking some more coffee, more delicately this time.

"Because if you hadn't Amy would have hung you by the-"

"Language, Rose!"

She poked her tongue out at him teasingly and he observed her closely. Something wasn't quite right. "John was there you know. Wouldn't socialise with anyone, just did the sulking thing," he said, trying to be as casual as possible and he noticed the blush that rose on her cheeks. "Someone pulled him out to dance. They kissed. He couldn't stop raving about her."

"Really?" She shrugged, looking down at her book intensely. "That's nice."

He took out his own textbooks, his netbook, which he booted up, and looked back to see she was still faintly red. That's when he realised she was being way too casual about his news. His eyes widened. "It was you!" he exclaimed.

"Shhh! Rory!" she hissed under her breath. Looking around to see if anyone was watching them, she was relieved to see that they weren't.

"Why didn't you just tell him?" He tried his best not to sound accusatory and hoped he succeeded.

"It wasn't like I planned it!" she whispered frantically. "I just, I… Oh, it's so stupid."

"What?" He really wanted to know what she thought, wanted to know Rose wasn't just playing with his friend. Even though he was sure she felt something for John, he was always one for caution.

"I just wanted to dance with him." Her cheeks reddened further. "I hadn't planned to kiss him, but it'd felt so nice and," she shrugged, "kissing him just felt _right_ somehow." She looked down at the table, shoulders now hunched.

Rory looked at her, thoughtful. "You know, he said something similar last night."

At this, her head shot up and at the hope glowing in her clear, brown eyes, he couldn't help but set her mind at ease. "John's always been quite the romantic and yet he's never actually _tried_ for a relationship since we got here. He's had a couple of girlfriends, but none of them have ever been _the_ one. His words, not mine," he pointed out. "One kiss from his _mysterious blonde_ last night and he's determined to find her." Noticing her look down again and her brow crease, he continued, "Rose," he waited for her to look up again before saying, "I'm sure if you told him, he'd be over the moon. Ever since the two of you met… There's, there's just been _something there_."

"Quoting Disney movies now, are you?" She smiled faintly, but he saw that her spirit was once again rising.

"Just don't tell Amy," he joked before taking a more serious tone. "You two have been walking circles around each other and when you're not doing that, you're running away. Both of you! You really need to talk."

"It's not that simple, though. I'm almost done with school and really need to focus. Plus, I'm a student, he's a professor. It wouldn't be-"

"Appropriate? You two are hardly the first teacher/student relationship to have happened on campus. There are no rules against it. Rose," this time he was gentle, "ever since I first met you, you've always been very… lonely. I know that's not how you're meant to be. John's the same. Sure, he has Amy and I, and so do you, but you two need _more_."

"I'll think about it, okay? I can't give you more than that."

Knowing if he pushed too hard, he would do more damage than good, Rory agreed.

The two got back to their work, working in silence together.

* * *

Rose sighed, her mind wandering far, far away from her lecture. She was currently in her fourth, and final, year as a business major and had entered the University of London at the age of eighteen. She had passed her A-levels in English, business, and psychology with flying colours, and had done moderately well in computing and economics. It had been quite the surprise when she'd done so. Even her mother, Jackie Tyler, for all her talk about Rose getting 'airs and graces', had been quite proud of her daughter. When she approached her mum about attending university, Jackie had been hesitant, but encouraging.

Thanks to her Grandfather Alan Tyler, she had enough funds to attend uni. When she and Jackie had found out her paternal grandfather had left Rose 100,000 pounds in his will (a paternal grandparent she had never met, but had left the money to 'Pete Tyler's offspring(s)') to say that they'd been pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Peter Alan Tyler, her dad, had died when she was just a baby and had apparently been out-of-sorts with his parents. However, she was very thankful that Grandfather Alan had never stopped caring for his son and had left her with a means to survive a little better.

Between her and her mum, they'd decided to put half of it towards Rose's education, thirty-five per cent saved for an emergency, and the remaining fifteen they used for other things they couldn't previously afford for everyday life. Since Rose was going to be moving out to live closer to campus, Jackie decided to stay in her flat at the Powell Estate.

During the past four years, Rose had busied herself with school, keeping her head stuck in book after book, studying long and hard. She knew that, had it not been for her grandfather's financial help and the aide of a mentor just after her GCSE's, she would never have made it this far. Sarah Jane Smith, an ex-investigative reporter, was doing research on the education system of Rose's home area. The older woman had involved herself as she always did with every story she worked on: meticulously and thoroughly. Sarah Jane had been Rose's greatest asset and still remained as such. Maybe a talk with her would be in order…

With that, her thoughts turned to John Smith and a blush made its way up her cheeks. The past two weeks, she'd been trying to work up the courage to tell him about Halloween night, but she hadn't seen him at all except when walking through campus in a hurry. Quick hellos and smiles were all they managed to exchange before they ran to their next destinations. Last night, she'd had a dream that she had finally told him _everything_: about Halloween and about how she felt for him, but his face had been an expressionless mask and she'd quickly taken it back. She feared that that was exactly how it'd go, except maybe with a lot more stammering, on both sides, and she would never, _never_ take back her feelings for him.

Rose was startled out of her thoughts when she heard the rustling of her classmates as they started packing up. A look at the clock and she realised that it was the end of class and she'd spent the last forty-five minutes mentally wandering off. Cursing internally, she got her things together and asked Ace McShane, a close schoolmate of hers if she could e-mail her her notes. With a thanks, Rose left to go meet up with her friends.

As Ace wondered at the oddity of the blonde's request (being one of the most diligent students, Ace often came to _Rose_ for help, though she was happy to return the favour), Rose hurried across campus and remembered the time she first met her new group of friends.

* * *

_Rose's study group had just left and she couldn't help but sigh as she looked outside. It was a beautiful spring day and she was stuck in the crowded library. Her classmates had invited her to go with them, but she'd said she had more studying to do. They'd shrugged and left; Rose realised they had expected her to say no. The irony wasn't lost on her. Once upon a time, she would have gladly ditched schoolwork for a good time, but life had taught her not everything was fun and games._

"_Excuse me, may I sit here?"_

_Rose looked up to see a thin male with a pointed nose set on a narrow face. His short, brown hair lay flat on his head and his dark, green eyes expressed tiredness from all the reading he must be doing for exams. She smiled and nodded._

_He sighed in relief, dropping his books and bag down, and muttered to himself. Rose flinched inwardly at the sound of rustling papers, but otherwise ignored him. It wasn't until she heard him chuckle about an hour and a half later that she looked up. He was smiling down at his mobile._

_Seeing her watch him, he blushed. "Sorry, it's just my girlfriend. Texting me to make sure I eat."_

_At this, she smiled, much more warmly than she first had. "That's nice of her. She must really care about you."_

"_Amy loves me," he stated, matter-of-fact, and she would have thought that a declaration like that would sound completely egotistical, but he said it with such surety, that she knew there was no question about it. "And I love her. We look out for each other. Always have, ever since we were kids. Well, us and our friend, John."_

"_Childhood sweethearts?" Rose asked, curious._

"_Yeah." He smiled goofily and she couldn't help but giggle at his adorable expression. "I'm Rory, by the way, Rory Williams."_

_She grinned. "Rose Tyler."_

"_Pleased to meet you, Rose."_

"_Same."_

_After another half an hour of silence had gone by, she heard Rory start to pack his things._

"_Better go meet up with Amy and eat. Don't want her breathing down my neck later if I skip dinner." He'd just put away his netbook when he looked back up. "Do you want to come?"_

_Biting her lip, she looked down at her textbooks for a second. She'd been working all day and hadn't really given herself a break. In the end, her biology decided it for her as her stomach grumbled loudly. The two new acquaintances laughed. "Sure," she finally agreed. Packing up her things, she followed Rory to a courtyard on the west side of campus where she then met his 'wonderful girlfriend', as he'd called her._

_Gorgeous was what Rose would call Amy Pond. The fact that Rory hadn't mentioned how gorgeous the tall, redheaded woman was, said a lot about their relationship. Long-legged and fierce were something she quickly decided Amy was as well. Where Rory was quieter, Amy was louder. She was very upfront and wanted to know who Rose was the minute she showed up with her boyfriend. Subtle Amy was not, but Rose met Amy's assertiveness with her own stubbornness and let it be known that she was _not_ after Rory._

_Hazel eyes narrowed while whiskey-brown simply stared. A smile broke out on the ginger's face about a minute later and she nodded. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's eat." She gestured at the abundance of food she'd laid out at the table._

_Somewhere between her first and second sandwich, Rose inquired, "Do you always pack up this much food for just the two of you or does studying work up that much of an appetite?" Her tongue poked out and Amy commented on how adorable she looked which made her blush._

"_Remember I mentioned our friend, John?" Rory answered. At her nod, he continued, "Well, he sometimes meets up with us, but it looks like he lost track of time. Again."_

"_He's going to work himself to death, he is," Amy grumbled._

_Rose continued to eat her sandwich in silence as the couple argued over what to do with their friend._

* * *

_Two weeks after she had met Rory and Amy, Rose was heading towards the bus terminals. She had a meeting with one of the local electronic firms for a research project and hoped to complete it by the end of the week. The semester was drawing to a close so she'd promised her two new friends they'd go celebrate next week._

_Suddenly, Rose was rushing towards the ground. Eyes wide, she thrust her arms forward to catch herself, something behind pushing her. She shut her eyes, knowing that it was going to hurt, and gasped when her body was twisted around out of nowhere._

_A loud "oomph!" escaped her as her back hit a strong, but pliable, surface. Whatever she had landed on was definitely not concrete. Blinking repeatedly she forced her brain to catch up with what had just happened. Rose finally noticed there was a pair of arms wrapped around her, holding her close, and a hard, bony _something_ pressing against the top of her head. _

_Twisting around, she came face to face with the brightest green eyes she'd ever seen. They looked a bit world-weary, but there was also a spark there that revealed life and love and a cheeriness about them that made her smile. "Hello."_

_Green eyes disappeared behind eyelids and she looked at the light lashes before they rose up again, distracting her with the brilliant colour that'd captivated her. "Hello." She felt the voice rumble from below and finally realised she was laying on top of him._

"_I'm sorry!" Rose pushed herself up and almost lost her balance when she stood. A hand on her back steadied her and she wondered how he'd gotten up so quickly._

"_No! No, no, no. Don't say you're sorry. It was my fault, really. I wasn't looking where I was going. It's just, I'm late for class and-" The hand that had aided her in keeping her equilibrium disappeared as he gestured with both arms and she had to shake off the feeling of missing his fingers on her._

"_It's alright, I was just daydreaming and I should have been walking faster. I really need to get going as I'm late for a meeting." She bent down to start collecting her stuff and saw him do the same from the corner of her eye._

"_Shall we get going then?" A manic grin spread across his face and Rose couldn't help but grin back just as widely._

"_Where-?" Before she could even begin her question, long fingers wrapped around her shorter ones and tugged her forward, running towards the south end of campus. 'Well, at least we're headed the same way.' She just hoped she wouldn't trip with her heels on; the blisters were already inevitable. Instead of continuing on through the ground level, he brought her to the maths building, taking the stairs up to the second floor._

_They were just outside a classroom when he exclaimed, "Oh!" as he looked down at their linked hands before his gaze trailed up her arm and to her face. "Sorry! I didn't mean to… I just. Oh dear." He was completely flustered and she found it utterly adorable._

"_It's okay." She smiled. "I was heading this way too, sort of. Have to head down to the bus terminal to get to my meeting…" Checking her watch, she sighed in relief; she still had plenty of time to make it._

"_Are you going to be late?" he asked worriedly._

"_No." She shook her head. "Still have some time, but I better get going. Never know how traffic will be._

"_Quite right. Always have to expect the unexpected. Well, not _always_ obviously, or else life would be quite boring without prodigious events, but in this case, it's better safe than sorry. Right?"_

_Rose felt her face contort in bemusement and she was sure it was quite obvious as he quickly reddened further and stuck his hand out._

"_John Smith, by the way, Professor John Smith."_

_She blinked. "Oh! I'm Rose, Rose Tyler." She took his hand and was about to shake it, when he lifted it up and brought it to his mouth for a kiss on her knuckles._

"_It's very nice to meet you, Rose Tyler."_

_The way her named rolled out his lips made her shiver pleasantly. But it was his smile that warmed her all over, as if she was walking into a fire and she never wanted to get out, as long as he was by her side. "It's nice to meet you too, Professor."_

_Silence filled the air when neither moved, her hand still in his. It wasn't until the classroom door opened that they jumped apart._

"_Professor Smith!" A guilty student burst out. "We thought you weren't coming, sir, and we just…"_

"_Sorry Latimer, it was my fault. Don't worry. Just let everyone know I'm here and I'll be in soon, alright?"_

"_Yes, sir." With that Latimer quickly went back in._

"_I'm sorry, Ms Tyler, I really must get to my students before they start a protest at having such a short class on a Friday." He winked and she laughed._

"_Of course, I really should get going before something… unexpected happens."_

"_Exactly."_

_They continued to smile at one another before Rose finally shook her head and started backing away. "Good day, Professor John Smith."_

_She left before she could hear his answer and, as such, also missed him mutter under his breath, "I think the unexpected has already occurred."_


	3. Only in Dreams

**Love Like Ours**

_By: SilverLunarStar_

_**Chapter Three: Only in Dreams**_

* * *

John had never been one to ask for much, but was it _too_ much to ask for a break? All he wanted to know was the identity of the woman who had kissed him a week ago. He'd had little luck.

In what he thought had been a stroke of genius, he had secretly rallied the help of his students by making a class assignment based on how many costumes they had seen people wear or were wearing themselves. For every class he had that week, he gave the same assignment, but had come up empty. Until his last class.

He had already dismissed the class when he heard a couple of his straggling students talk excitedly about today's assignment. 'At least they enjoyed it,' he thought absentmindedly until he heard the mention of "pink chucks".

"That's an awful choice of shoes for a Red Riding Hood costume!"

"Yeah, I thought so too, but the actual costume? So awesome. It looked very authentic."

"What was up with the mask, though?"

"No idea."

"Maybe she was a shy first year? You know how intimidating those parties can be. Stupid Dennis trying to haul me for a shag."

"You sure showed him, though."

"Hell yeah…"

Their voices finally faded as they exited the class, leaving a mulling professor behind.

John sighed and buried his face in his hands, one pushing his hair off his forehead, the bangs of his dark brown hair simply fluttering back over and he peered at the tips. 'Might be time for a trim,' he thought, trying to forget about what he'd heard, the last week, _everything_.

What was he even doing? Obsessing over this girl like some kind of stalker! He might not be a 'lady's man' (though Amy argued otherwise), but he wasn't so desperate to be with someone who had simply kissed him and run, was he?

The problem was that this had been _different_ somehow. He didn't know how to explain it, but the way he had felt around her… it was quite similar to the way he felt around… 'No,' he shook his head. 'Don't go down that road.' It was too late, though. Grumbling, he headed home.

Since the day he had met the beautiful, blonde Rose Tyler, his life had changed. Oh, his routine was very much the same. He went to class, taught, had lunch with his friends and at times, when he was left alone with Rose, chips. Then he arrived at his flat alone, he slept alone, showered alone… While he was tired of it, he didn't do anything about it. However, his life had become… brighter. When he had first crashed into Rose, it had been a wonderfully unexpected turn of events and it didn't stop there. It turned out, his childhood friends knew Rose. They'd only been hanging out for a couple of weeks, but he was amazed at how well they got on. It was as if they'd known each other for years and when John finally joined them one day, surprising Amy and Rory when they found out John and Rose knew each other, he slipped seamlessly in.

Just hearing Rose's laughter, watching the tip of her tongue slip between her teeth when someone said something particularly funny, seeing her eyes light up, looking at her concentrate on one of her textbooks, talking with their friends. He knew he had never met anyone like her and he believed he'd be hard-pressed to find anyone like her ever again.

Oh, he'd tried, of course. He was a young, healthy twenty-seven year old who believed in something so deep and true that, as a younger man, he had tried. He'd loved before. He'd tried so hard to find that _something_, that _someone_ to share himself with completely. Maybe it was a bit of an odd concept in this day and age, but he couldn't help how he'd been raised and how his brain had processed the information.

There had been Jabe Willows while he was working on his master's. She was studying what he affectionately called 'herbology' but was really horticulture. She had been a beautiful woman who was not afraid of getting her hands dirty and she had a fondness for adventure.

They'd only been dating a few months when she'd gone on a trip with her class to the Amazon Rainforest, a huge privilege. Her class had worked hard to fund-raise for the trip to South America. It was a great tragedy when the area she and her classmates had been exploring caught fire. Jabe, along with three other students, had perished.

John had been devastated and guilt ate through him all the more when he'd been contacted by her older brother. Apparently, his girlfriend had spoken quite highly of him and John had been invited to her funeral. He hadn't gone, of course. He had planned to break things off with Jabe as soon as she came back from her trip and her death ate at him. It'd taken him well over a year before he could even think about dating again.

During that year of self-ostracism, a sweet second year student in the maths department had attached herself to him. Lynda-with-a-y Moss was a good friend, but he hadn't been ready to see anyone and she soon moved on. He saw her go through jerk after jerk until he finally stepped in and helped stage a sort of intervention. She got herself together, even if she resisted his help at the beginning. Lynda sought counselling and eventually went back home to try and apply to a different university. With a kiss on John's cheek, Lynda bid him farewell.

Poised and elegant Reinette Poisson set her eyes (and almost her claws) on John next. She had approached him when he had intervened between Lynda and her last boyfriend, Dallan something-or-other. Reinette, at that point, had also set her sights on Dallan, a frat boy, as the Americans would call him.

At first, Reinette had worked to his benefit. The older, more experienced blonde could take care of herself better than the innocent Lynda could. However, once Lynda had taken it upon herself and stood up against Dallan, Reinette had admired John and his loyalty to his friends. After Reinette had fun with Dallan, she had given him a taste of his own medicine and had played him expertly, like a seasoned violinist, before dropping him quick.

John had _almost_ been tempted to give into her advances, but even he had more dignity than that. He refused to be another notch on Reinette's bedpost. If he would ever be with someone, it would be because he loved her.

Before them, there was his first, Romana Trelundar. She had been a fellow young genius who had entered the program at the University at the same time he had at merely thirteen and a half years old. He had loved her, mind and body. Once she'd turned sixteen and been emancipated, they had given themselves to each other. However, he soon realised that he wasn't _in_ love with her. They seemed the perfect pair, but each had different goals and dreams. Once Romana had received her bachelor's, she transferred to a university in Ireland to continue her studies.

They promised to stay friends and keep in contact, but he soon stopped hearing from her. It's like she'd disappeared off the face of the Earth. It was a few months later he'd met Jabe.

After finally shaking off Reinette (really, she'd just grown bored of chasing him and fished herself the self-proclaimed King Louis, a rich boy from France), a professor from anthropology had asked him out.

Professor River Song was attractive enough, but honestly, she made him more uncomfortable than Reinette ever had. At least Reinette was clear with her intentions. River would flirt excessively with him one moment and offend him the next. It grew tiresome fast and he ended things before their second date could even take place.

Nurse Joan Redfern was another who made him uneasy. He'd gone to the campus clinic a few times, usually accompanying a first year student, but he'd run into her a few times outside of it. He had no problem with dating older women (River and Jabe were examples of that), but she was very… pushy. Always hinted at her availability and brought up her deceased husband as often as possible. It was obvious her dear Oliver had been her true love.

That's exactly what John wanted. He didn't want a mere fling or to go through as many women as possible before settling down. The problem, of course, was that he never put himself _out there_. He was a coward, as Amy cheerfully reminded him frequently. After Jabe, he had more or less withdrawn. He had basically buried himself in work, barely even giving his friends the time of day.

He hadn't meant to, but the guilt had overwhelmed him. The women who sought his attention weren't right either, however. If he didn't try, though, how would he ever find the woman who was right for _him_?

John had always been an odd one. He guessed believing in true love in this day and age probably was strange. He truly believed there was someone out there for everyone. Maybe not in the 'soul mates' sense, because he thought loving only one person ever could just lead to a life of misery and pain (he thought of Nurse Redfern here), but people who complimented each other. He didn't know _how_ he knew the woman dressed as Little Red was someone who could complete him, but he did. Maybe he'd been waiting too long and was delusional. Sighing, he shut his eyes as he lay in bed and dreamed.

* * *

_It was dark, but even with all the people there he weaved through the crowd seamlessly. In the dead centre of the room, there was a woman in red, her back turned to him. He held in a breath as he approached her, chest still expanded even as she turned to him when he touched her shoulder. A mask covered her beautiful face and he wanted to snatch it off, to explore every inch of her cheeks, her temples, her forehead, chin, jaw, and lips. Her lips might be completely bare to him, but it wasn't fair to take without having _all_ of her. Instead of doing what his body called out for him to do, he bowed before her and asked her for a dance._

_Full lips spread into a smile and she accepted. There wasn't an inch of space between them as they swayed, turned, and twirled to the music. They were _so_ close, but at the same time it wasn't enough. There was an unspeakable distance between them that made his heart ache. As he brought her back up after a dip, she suddenly stiffened, like she knew what he was thinking. She pushed him away and stared into his eyes. He tried to decipher their colour, but before he could look or say anything, she broke away from his embrace and ran._

_This time he wasn't going to let her get away. He had waited too long for her. He ran, breaking through the crowd until he made his way outside._

_At first, he thought he'd lost her. His head jerked every which way and he couldn't see her. His heart clenched, hurt flooding him until, from the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of red. Swerving his body, he'd changed directions so quickly he almost crashed into someone. Shouting a quick apology, he continued on. He pushed himself to go faster and, just when he thought he was about to catch her, his hand already out to reach for her, he missed her entirely. He'd leaned his weight forward so much that he ended up unbalanced and fell to the ground. Pain shot up his arms when he landed and, if it weren't for his hands, already out, his face would have crashed with them. Instead, he whipped his head up and just caught sight of her turning. His eyes widened as her mask fluttered off-_

John shot up, breathing ragged, chest expanding and contracting, feeling as if he'd just run a marathon. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and he wiped it with the back of his arm, before wrinkling his face in disgust and peeling off his shirt instead and wiping himself off with it. Looking outside, he noticed it was still quite late. He got up and stepped out onto his balcony, looking up at the moon and wishing that somehow it would whisper all its secrets. Maybe the satellite glowing from borrowed light and the twinkling stars knew who Little Red was. Maybe it _was_ Rose. He scoffed and shook his head, but before heading back in, he looked at the moon one last time and wished, 'Please, please let her know I'm looking for her, that I _do_ want her.'

* * *

"John, are you alright?"

The maths professor looked up from the food he'd been sliding around his plate to his mate. Instead of lying to Rory, he shrugged.

"Look…" He heard the hesitation before Rory continued, "I'm sure we'll find her, alright? Don't give up hope."

"It's already been three weeks, Rory. You and Amy have been a great help and I've tried to find out on my own as well as I can without coming off like a creepy bastard to my students, but… If she doesn't want to be found, then there's nothing I can do, is there? Not like I can put up fliers that say 'Lost Love of Life, Dressed as Little Red, Please Call if Found' all over campus, can I? If she really wanted me, she could have found me too. True love's not supposed to be a one-sided thing. Besides, I'd had too much to drink that night anyway. I probably just imagined things."

Rory watched his friend helplessly, wondering what to say. Before he could think of anything, however, he brightened as he saw who approached them.

"Hello, Rory, Giraffe." Amy sat next to her boyfriend and gave him a kiss before turning to her sulking friend. "What's wrong with dreary over here?"

"Amy, don't be so callous," Rose chimed in. She took a seat next to the upset man and placed her hand on the back of his for a second before drawing away. "Are you alright?"

John's head came up as soon as he felt her presence and he stared into her beautiful honey eyes that, when caught by the light, looked like they had specks of gold in them. "Fine," he squeaked and laughed shortly. "Just fine."

"Good." The redhead took a breath. "Now that we're all here, Rory and I have an announcement to make," she said matter-of-factly. She looked at her partner, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"I asked Amy to marry me last week." Rory blushed, holding on tight to her hand.

The pair across from them gawked for a second before twin grins broke out and they let out several words of congratulations. The two were so excited they forgot about their misery, lost in discussion of the big day, the women squealing over Amy's gorgeous _vintage_ ring, and John teasing Rory how it was about time.


	4. Taste the Sky

**Love Like Ours**

_By: SilverLunarStar_

_**Chapter Four: Taste the Sky**_

* * *

**Note:** _HUGE apologies to my dear, lovely readers. I know I took two weeks off, but life was crazy, Nano took up a lot of my time (but I made a little over 50,000 words!), and then Thanksgiving. They're not excuses, just reasons as to why I took so long. I hope to go back to my regularly scheduled updates of Thursdays. Thank you for being so patient. And thank you Fogs for being such a patient beta._

* * *

Since Amy and Rory were almost done with their masters' they'd decided to wait and have a fall wedding. While Rory wanted one in August, Amy preferred sometime in October, so they'd finally settled for mid-September, the second Saturday of the month. Since Amy was always one to be prepared for anything, she wanted to get plans started right away. Enlisting the help of their friends, the couple had a lot less to worry about. They also hoped that the two idiots (in Amy's opinion, though Rory silently agreed) would figure out how wonderful they were for each other.

The holidays were coming up and term finals with them. Instead of studying, as Rose would usually be doing on a Wednesday evening, she was laughing at John's face as he tried the raspberry turnover and resisting the urge to say, "I told you so".

"Okay, so Amelia and Rory want a September wedding, so I'll call the locations they gave me tomorrow, during my lunch break, about prices so we can get one of the major financial consumers out of the way." He looked over his notes after he'd spat out a piece of the turnover on a napkin. They were at one of the two cafes on campus. Sadly enough, this was the one that made the worst banana nut muffins in the history of Earth (according to John), so he'd gone with the raspberry pastry even though she'd warned him that it wasn't much better.

She bit into a salt and vinegar crisp, reached into her bag for one more, and took a sip from her thermal, letting her lemon tea wash it down. "Hate to break it to you, John, but _everything_ in a wedding is a major financial consumer. And Amy would be furious if she heard you calling her that."

"But she's not here to hear, is she? And you wouldn't tell her, would you Rose?"

Rose's heart stuttered at his adorable, pleading expression. She hadn't felt like this for someone in… well, ever really. Sure, she'd had her crushes, puppy love, and a boyfriend or two, dated casually even, but it was never like _this_. She always fancied herself an independent woman who had learned from the best: her mother.

Jackie may have had several men in her life, but she had _never_ let them dictate her life and Rose had taken that to heart. So, when she was sixteen, and had had that no-good boyfriend of hers, Jimmy Stone, and he'd tried to control her time with her friends, what she ate, how she dressed, she'd dumped his arse faster than a bullet train. He'd tried to get back at her for it by dating an old friend of hers to make her jealous, but she'd simply ignored him. It was hard, there was no doubt about that. She'd thought she was in love, but with the help of Sarah Jane, she'd put her focus on something much more important: herself. She focused on her education and her life. With the funding by her grandfather, she had been given an opportunity that most people from the Estate never got and she was not going to let it go to waste.

Now, she only had about seven months left and she'd receive her bachelor's, with a stipend for a masters within her grasp. Could she really hope to accomplish her goals with a distraction such as John?

Oh, but John wasn't just _any_ distraction. Glancing at him, she noticed his head move quickly down. "No," she finally said, breaking the silence. "No, I wouldn't."

He gave her a quirky smile before continuing to jot down what she was sure were various numbers, as he tried to find the best estimate to keep within their friends' budget.

Rose and John had, of course, volunteered to help Amy and Rory plan the wedding. While the engaged couple worked on the basics of a monetary limitation (which they had given John) and invitations, Rose was in charge of design and wardrobe. At first, Rose had worked on her own, looking for arrangements and decorations, until she realised she wasn't sure where it would be. What if she chose the wrong colour scheme for the locale? She'd fretted for a day or so until she finally worked up the courage to approach John.

"_Professor, don't you think it'd be more beneficial if we worked together?" Rose had tried her best to sound as professional as she could, but at his "uhhh" and stuttering, she couldn't help but giggle, her tongue poking out as she smiled at him. "Better with two, yeah?"_

_At that, he'd enthusiastically agreed. "Yes, but only if you call me John. None of this 'Professor' nonsense. We're almost the same age, after all, and I'm not_ your_ professor," he'd finished sternly before breaking out into a smile._

"_It's a deal." They shook hands. "John."_

"_Rose."_

"Rose… Rose!"

Rose startled out of her thoughts, shaking her head before turning her attention on him. "I'm sorry, John; spaced out for a while there."

"It's alright, been known to do that myself."

They shared a smile before he frowned.

"I've enjoyed spending time with you immensely, Rose, but I should go. It's quite late already and I have a morning class. Not that I sleep much, but I should let you rest."

"Oh…" She really didn't want him to go, but he was right. She had already spent all day with only a couple of hours of study time for _five_ classes. She should break out the books for at least an hour before heading back to her dorm. "Of course." This time her smile was a bit forced as she watched him back up everything.

"I'm sure by tomorrow I'll have everything in order. You'll let me know if the floral arrangements will be set?"

"Yeah, I will." She hesitated for a few seconds before she finally inquired, "Same time tomorrow?" Working with him made her feel… she didn't want to say 'complete'. It would sound so cheesy, but she felt _better_ around him. Less alone. She didn't want it to end.

Apparently, neither did he. "Yes!" He beamed, as if not working with her had never even occurred to him. "Is my place alright, this time? Only, I have a bit of work to do and I'm not sure if I'll be able to drag it all here. Though I suppose I could…" His brow furrowed in concentration, as if he were calculating the exact weight of everything, adding the five, and carrying the three over. He probably was.

"Your place is fine," she reassured.

"Great! I'll see you then."

"See you."

"Umm… Rose?"

"Yes, Prof- John?"

"Aren't you going to go home as well? It's late, and I don't think I'd feel right unless I knew you were back at your flat, safe and sound." He looked so earnest her heart swelled. Damn this man for making her fall in love with him that little bit more.

"Are you going to walk me home?" She grinned, tongue peeking out.

"What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn't?" With a flourish and bow, he extended an arm which made her laugh out loud. Collecting her things quickly, she looped her arm in his and they made their way across campus.

Once they reached her place, they said their goodnights and Rose locked her door, sighing. She looked around her small, and messy, empty flat. She got ready for bed and dropped down on her bed, burying her face in her pillow and trying to drown out thoughts of him. It didn't work in the slightest. She thought about him well into the night and he starred in the dreams that lingered even when morning came.

* * *

The next evening Rose stood outside the door to John's flat, nervously moving her weight from one foot to the other. She didn't know why she was so antsy. It wasn't like she hadn't spent time with the man in the months since she'd met him. She was a mature woman who could control herself. Plus, if she didn't, she would make a fool of herself, which kept her at bay.

Finally, she worked up the courage and knocked. Almost immediately, she heard a shout and a bang, along with some curses, followed by a loud, "Coming!"

A few seconds later, John appeared at the door, rubbing the top of his head. Somehow, she felt more at ease than she'd ever felt with him and she's determined to tell him who she is.

"Hi Rose!"

"Hello!"

They stayed staring at one another for almost a full minute before John's eyes widened. Just as she was going to ask what was wrong, he stuttered out, "Oh! I- uh, co-come in, y-yeah?"

"Right!" She blushed, unable to believe she hadn't even noticed they were simply standing around. "Thanks." Entering, she blinked, surprised when she saw what looked like a mini-banquet set out on a small table.

"Thought you might be hungry after your classes and our bodies must be fed if we hope for them to keep up with us. Not to mention, it helps our thinking process and there's still a lot to get done. I wasn't quite sure what you'd like, but since I've seen what you eat, during the past few months, I took a guess and thought you'd like Chinese. I wasn't a hundred per cent sure what you'd like, though, so I got a little of everything…"

The urge to kiss him assaulted her rapidly and she had to tamper it down just as quickly. He was too much, this was too much. She had to tell him. "John, I-" Rose was cut off when her stomach rumbled loud enough for him to hear it in the small flat.

"Sit! Tea should be done soon." He glanced into the small kitchenette where his electric kettle was still heating away. He took her things and settled them carefully on his desk and beamed at her. He went to get the kettle that was finally whistling its completion. She sat down gingerly and was about to serve them both on separate foam plates when she heard a yelp. Shaking her head in amusement, she went to see what she could do to help

Finally settling down to tuck in after running John's fingers under cold water, the two are silent for quite some time until Rose finally breaks it.

"Did you call the venues Rory and Amy were looking into?"

A muffled "Yes" sounded between bites, before he finally swallowed and apologised for his rude behaviour. "I've narrowed it down to two: Middle Temple and BMA House. Their prices are vastly different, on scale, with Middle Temple being more extravagant, but appropriate for the small number of people they want to invite. Though BMA is larger in size, they're willing to keep their current special if there are a minimum number of people coming. I just need to confirm with them by the end of the week the exact number. Middle Temple's more expensive in venue, but their catering is more affordable, so it's practically balanced, really." He waved his chopsticks in the air for emphasis.

Rose couldn't help but laugh at his rambling. It was quite obvious how excited he was for his friends' upcoming nuptials. "Well, I found a couple of places that we can get flowers from, and Amy asked me to look at some fabrics for her. Depending on which venue they choose, I'll pick a colour scheme of the decorations from there." She showed him some numbers once they were done with their meal.

John and Rose cleared up the table before spreading out the brochures they had each printed from the internet. They ooh-ed and aw-ed at each other's selections and, while they agreed on most things, John pointed out that Amy would probably prefer sunflowers to daisies. Rose suggested that he make an appointment for the couple to look at both venues next week, instead of just looking at the printed pages.

"There's an atmosphere you can only get when you experience something first hand."

Agreeing, he made a note to do so the next day. After tossing each other a few more ideas, they began talking about themselves.

"So why business?" John inquired.

Rose shrugged. "It's what my A-levels pointed to and I know it's the field in which I'll always be able to move up and be financially secure." She then went on to tell him about her time growing up at the Powell Estate with her mum, her father's early demise, her grandfather leaving her the means to attend university, and her brilliant mentor who had so much faith in her.

"I don't I think I'd have been able to accomplish half the things that I have if it weren't for Sarah Jane. She helped me out so much; I'll never be able to repay her for it."

"Being here is payment enough, I should think." He smiled warmly and she returned the gesture.

"I've worked long and hard to be here. I was just lucky enough that my grandfather set his grudge against my dad aside to leave me with something. I've taken every job I could get in order to continue, so I won't have to touch what I've put aside. Thanks to that, I don't have to work and study full-time. Just focus on my final year and apply to internships. There's one I'm really hoping to get that's in New York. Though there's also one in Edinburgh and right here in London. I've already sent my applications; it's just a matter of waiting for their replies. My focus right now is on exams and final projects. Spend the holidays with mum. Maybe take her on a small vacation before I really start the rest of my life."

"Sounds like you have everything planned out," he stated ruefully.

Rose shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, I know nothing ever comes out exactly as you plan, but I do have my goals in mind. I strive to be the best I can and that's all I can do."

"You already are the best, Rose Tyler."

There was no denying the affection in his voice, but instead of blurting out her feelings to him, she changed the subject. "What about you? I mean, Amy told me about Geeky, Young, Boy Genius before we met, but what made you decide teaching?"

He sulked a little before he smiled brightly. "I love teaching! I had so many plans when I was younger, becoming a zookeeper, an astronaut, a scientist, but teaching never crossed my mind until I assisted Professor Higson."

"He was the professor before you, right?"

He nodded. "I didn't know what to say at first, didn't think it was for me, but he told me to try it for a while and it just stuck. All these minds to fill with information, to prepare for the world out there? It's the best feeling in the world. Well," he corrected himself, "second best."

"What's the first?" she asked curiously.

He looked at her for a moment, mumbled something and then looked down at his hands.

Instead of asking him to repeat himself, she touched the back of his fingers gently and brightened when he turned his hand, entwining their digits. Warmth spread throughout her being and her breath stilled. They were a perfect fit, his long, sturdy fingers fitting right between her shorter, slim ones. The tips, she felt on the back of her hand, were calloused, probably from writing relentlessly, grading papers, skimming through textbooks. Hers would be about the same if she didn't moisturise, she thought absent-mindedly, trying to ignore the slow heat that had gathered low in her belly.

"Would you like to see?"

"Sorry?" Rose brought her attention from their connected hands back to his face.

"The best feeling."

"If you're willing to share," she said carefully.

"Come on then!" He tugged her up gently. "And close your eyes," he turned to tell her, sternly.

She opened her mouth to question him, but at his wagging finger, she pressed her lips together and did as she was told. Something told her it would be worth it, though she'd certainly get him back for this. Before she could think of a proper comeback she shivered as she felt cool air on her skin. His free hand came to rub at her arm for a bit before it came up to tilt her head up.

"Alright, open them," he whispered into her ear and she shivered again, for a different reason entirely this time.

"Oh! I love it." She twirled around a little as she gazed up at the night sky. London was an awful place for stargazing, but there were just enough small suns that gleamed through the blanket of black onto the city. 'John's balcony must be the perfect place for this,' she thought dreamily. With a content sigh, she brought her head back to level and caught sight of green eyes staring at her intensely. Heart rate skyrocketing, she was hypnotised by the depth of feelings she could easily read in them.

Oh, this wasn't fair. How was she going to resist? The obvious answer was that she wasn't. She leaned in closer to him, stilling when she realised he wasn't moving. A feeling of dread started creeping in on her until she heard him groan helplessly, his hand letting go of hers to press on her lower back, the other burying itself into her hair. He tilted her head in, what she would swear was the perfect angle. When his lips touched hers, the spark that had begun on Halloween night threatened to consume her. Her hands gripped his shoulders firmly, moving her lips against his and unable to help the whimper that escaped her.

Feeling something hard on her back, she took note in her hazy mind that he must have pressed her against the balcony's railing. Uncaring, she took control of the kiss and swiped her tongue against his thin lips, humming happily at his immediate response to open up to her exploration. Though, her back wasn't the only place she felt something hard. She resisted the urge to rub against him, however, and broke away after a few more sucks and nips.

"Third best, then," he whispered across her lips.

"What's that?" Coherent thought was quite difficult to manage right now, but she wanted to know what he meant.

"Teaching is now the third best feeling in the world."

"What's the second, then?"

"The stars, of course." He lifted a hand up to gesture at the sky.

"I thought they were the first."

"No." He shook his head emphatically. "This is." He pressed his lips against hers one more time, his fingers trailing her sides, before he took a step back. "Well, Miss Tyler, it's gotten quite late again."

"As time is wont to do," she teased.

"Correct. May I walk you home?" Mimicking the same gesture as the night before, he bowed and extended his arm.

"It would be my pleasure to have your company, sir." Rose grinned.

"The pleasure is all mine." He looked at her, eyes burning, and she was aflame under the intensity of his stare.

Exhaling sharply, she gathered her wits, and book bag, before exiting his flat. If she didn't, who knew what she'd be capable of? On their way to hers, with the stars above accompanying them on their walk, she swore she would tell him about Halloween soon. Before anything else happened.


End file.
